Grant climate

Grant Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Madrid, 15.4 km from Grant, elevation 3200 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Madrid. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around May 4 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 16

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 25May 20May 17May 14May 12May 9May 7May 5May 2
32°FMay 16May 11May 8May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
28°FMay 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 16
16°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18
28°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 5
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F154149145142138135131126120
32°F172166162159156152149145140
28°F192186182178175171167164158
24°F213207202198194190186181175
20°F233227220216211207203197191
16°F252245239234229225220214207

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
6,397
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
898
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,162
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,038
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,054
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,209
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,494

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19200
February1,00202
March803020
April531278
May24139294
June37182597
July3324786
August11260714
September11788430
October4683122
November839011
December1,15500

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 15.4 km from Grant. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00255090 (Madrid). Public domain.